Hi everyone! I just wanted to start an updated thread on the CBEST for this year. I recently took RMW. I know already I scored a 36 on the reading... cannot tell you how annoying that is UGH. (Esp. because I passed the CSET #1!!) I passed the math. There's one more week before the writing results come in. So, does anyone have suggestions for the reading portion? I think the hardest part was the questions with strange vocabulary. They wanted me to replace a specific word from the text with another word from the MC list that shared the same meaning. However, these words were super ambiguous, so I'm not really sure how to prepare for that?? I would like to just point out that I didn't read any books to prep for the CBEST. After passing the CSET I felt pretty confident.... will not be doing that again, ha. Any advice/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Try working through LearningExpress's Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day. You can probably find an older edition cheap online.
Does anyone has any advice on how to pass the writing part of the CBEST. I have taken it 8 times. I have been teaching for 26 years in Texas. Please help!!
Hugs, and welcome to A to Z. What, roughly, do you teach? And what are you seeing on your official score reports by way of diagnostics? Are you always getting dinged for the same things, or does it vary?
Hi thank you for answering! The eight times is the same usage and structure and convections. I am not a native english speaker, I have taken many courses including Varsity tutors and my score is fluctuates from 26 to 33. I have spend more than $2000.00 and I can't pass the written CBEST exam. I teach Spanish (single subject credential from K to 12th). Please help!!
You've passed the rest of CBEST, yes? How many total points do you have in hand from the reading and math sections? Were you educated in the US at all? Preparation books tend to recommend 400 to 600 words per essay. How long do you think your essays have been?
Thanks for your answer. My math and reading scores are 45 each. I was not educated in the USA. I attended a bilingual school in México. My essays usually have between 500 and 600 words each. I am very confused, I thought they were ok. Obviously, I have grammar and spelling mistakes, but not as many. I think the people grading the test are bias and they don't like to see a latin woman writing english.
Consider this, as in verify that I am speaking accurately about the CBEST exam rules. You keep the highest score you get for each section. You have passed the other two sections. You can sign up to take all three sections again, but spend all your time on the writing section. You will fail reading and math, but keep your previous scores. So you still have a pass on both those. You can spend all your time making sure you have everything right on the two essays. I hope you get through this. If I lived in texas , I'd also like to be in California
I Know I can take it again, but I have taken it 8 times. I need help with a formula on how to pass the test. I am staying in CA for three years and then running to Texas.
All right, Julianna1: so you can pass with a minimal-pass score of 37 points in writing. Judging from the diagnostics, scorers are happy with how you're framing, organizing and supporting your thesis statement (for the expository/persuasive essay) and how you're making the point that the prompt demanded and how you're arranging and fleshing out the story (for the reflection/personal essay). That being the case, let me suggest that you write less per essay. It isn't necessary to write an excellent essay: what's called for is an adequate essay, and that's a surprisingly different thing. Go have a look at the sample essays in the pdf of the official writing practice test: the longest of the reflections is a little under 450 words - and the expository/persuasive and reflection/personal narrative essays that scored 3 are each (a) under 300 words and (b) demonstrably though not hugely imperfect in structure and conventions (and a bit weak in usage, but not drastically). You'll probably find those essays unimpressive, but they were good enough to satisfy the scorers.
Each CBEST test session is four hours, irrespective of sections taken. See http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CA_CBEST_TestPage.html.
Thanks so much for your response, I will perhaps write less. This will prevent me to have as many spelling mistakes. If you have any other suggestion I would really appreciate it. Julianna
I was completely wrong! I should have looked that up before I spouted such nonsense. Sorry, and thank you for the correct information!
Writing less will mean fewer words to misspell, yes. It should also give you fewer opportunities for errors in grammar, mechanics (capitalization, especially), and idiomatic usage. Helpful hint for spelling: Basic words in English are Germanic; some of the nouns have irregular plurals (man/men, child/children, and so on), and many of the verbs (be, get, bring, buy, become, etc.) have irregular past tenses and past participles (was/been, get/gotten, brought, bought). Some of them are indispensable, and it's simply necessary to learn the darned things: there is no avoiding be or become, though at least become has the decency to pattern just like come. But more educated vocabulary is derived from French, Latin, or Greek, and is much likelier to be regular: you could use student instead of child, purchased instead of bought, became ill or developed an illness instead of got sick, acquired a position instead of got a job, and the like. With that said, the errors I see in your writing so far have more to do with mishandled verb tenses and idioms than with spelling. I generally avoid mentioning such errors on social media unless I've been asked to - but if it suits you, please review the posts you've made here, pick one error you think CBEST scorers and I might notice, and post it here with your correction (and, yes, of course you can do some research); I'll be happy to discuss it.
Now, now: the policy COULD have been changed - but it WOULD have been quite the change from prior policy, and that's why it got my attention enough to make me check.
I am very confuse/ should be present I have spent/ pass tense Thanks for your input. When taking the exam I am very carful using the correct tense. I usually check my essay many times before summiting it. You are right, english is not an easy language because is not phonetic. I will like to hear your opinion, and I am open to listen to your recommendation, so I can pass the exam.
You're right on "I have spent", though not on why. But "I am very confuse" doesn't work for English. A verb phrase with a form of BE + verb in English works pretty much the same way a verb phrase with a form of SER/ESTAR + verb does in Spanish: tense is marked on BE, and the main verb is a participle. So just we have "Estoy confundida" in Spanish, so also we have "I am confused" in English. The same goes for HAVE + verb. (It's less obvious in English, because the regular past tense CONFUSED is identical to the regular past participle CONFUSED. But that's precisely why I recommend using Latin-based vocabulary: one less verb form to get wrong.) In general, if you'd use SER/ESTAR or HABER + past participle -ado/-ido in a verb form in Spanish, you can use BE or HAVE + past participle -ed in English, and if you'd use SER/ESTAR + present participle -iendo, you can use BE + present participle -ing.
